THE TAITA ROAD

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 75, 29 March 1926, Page 10

THE TAITA ROAD

A BITUMEN DISPUTE

MR. COATES ASKED TO INTERVENE

SUBURBAN HI3HWAYS BOABD OBDUKATB.

As negotiations between the Hutt County Council apd the "Wellington and Suburban Highways Board over the completion of a piece of road at Taita, one mile and threes quarters in length, have reached an impasse, a deputation of Taita ratepayers and others interested waited on the Right Hon. J. G. Coates (Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works) to-day to see if he could do something to have the difficulty removed. Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., introduced the deputation, and the spokesmen were Messrs. F. H. Cooper, H. Foley, A. Mackay (chairman, Hutt County Council), and A. H. Benham (Hutt County engineer). ''' We are in the position of being like a ping-pong ball —of being bounced about between the Hutt County and the City and Suburban Highways Board," remarked Mr. Foley, who explained that when the portion of the road under notice was handed over to the latter body an intimation was received that it was prepared to lay down the bitumen, but that the Main Highways Board had raised an objection unless the road was completed to a width of 66 feet with, a bitumen track placed over the centre line. ,_ "CASE OF OBSTINACY." The Engineer-in-Chief of Public Works (Mr. F. W. Furkert) interposed that the Main Highways Board had not stipulated that the road should bo C 6 feet wide. It had* been found that ow- ; ing to a mistake made in the past the ! metalling was not placed where the middle of the road should be, and all that had been insisted upon was that the bitumen should be laid down in the proper place. As far as he could see, it was just a case of obstinacy on the part of the City Council, the authority which should carry out the work on behalf of the City and Suburban Highways Board, but which simply would not go on with it. The attitude which t the. Main Ilighways Board took up in refusing to allocate money for the paving was that it was useless in the case of a road which was to be made permanent to go on perpetuating a mistake made perhaps fifty years ago. If people had been allowed to encroach on the road, then the matter should be adjusted, but the bitumen ought to be laid in the centre of the correct road line. .

Mr. Benham pointed out that it was only the first 35 chains of the road that was responsible for the difficulty that had arisen. There were only about 28 chains on which it would not be possible to put an 18ft bitumen strip in the centre of the road line. It was now suggested that either the road could be made to its present alignment with 4ft of bitumen on the one side -of the centre line and 14ft on the other, leaving the full widening to bo done when the growth of the district warranted it, or else that 12ft be laid on one side^ the extra width to be laid on the other side after the consolidation process had been completed. In reply to Mr. ..Coates, Mr. Mnckay stated that it was the, District Public Works Engineer (Mr.' Hanna) who found out that the road was not in proper alignment. Mr. Furkert remarked that the second suggestion, put forward by Mr. Benhani was what the Main Highways Eoard wanted the Suburban Highways Board to carry out in the first place. It was unwise to allow another winter to pass without having the 1 +umen laid right. The Suburban Highways Board had the remedy in its own hands; it could commence the construction tomorrow on the lines which Mr. Benham suggested. It was not sensible that the whole work should be held up because 28 chains was not in the right place; Mr. Mackay: "AH the blame is being put on the Main Highways Board." Mr. Furkert: "Of course, they all always throw it on the Government.'' "Well," asked the Prim 3 Minister after the discussion had proceeded a little further, "what is all this to do with me. Where do I come in?" Mr. Mackay: "The Taita ratepayers would like you to put the thing -ight.'' Later, Mr. Ooates inquired whether the deputation did not think its quarrel was with the Suburban Highways Board. Why could not Mr. Benham's suggestion be carried out? Mr. Mackay said that the Suburban Highway Board's engineer stated that it could not b« done. "Who's he any»ay?" asked Mr. Coates. "He is only an employee, and he has to do what he is told." Mr rf Mackay remarked that the engineer was the employee of the City Council, and not of the Suburban Highways Board. / Mr. Benham said he heard that day for the first time that the second suggestion he had made had been agreeable to the Main Highways Board. Mr. Coates: "Why don't you make your man do the work?"^ Mr. Purkert: "What we said was, 'Let them put down what they could put down and get on with the job.' " "PRIME MINISTER HAS SOME DUTIES." The Prime Minister: "It seems to me to be a question of plane-sailing, getting on with the work, and finishing it at some later date. You want me to act as intermediary to approach this high and mighty body and say that the Minister of Public Works is the only one who can get them out of their place of retreat and see what they can do. Well, I suppose the Prime Minister has come duties. (Laugl.ter.) 'All right gentlemen, we'll have to get on to them,"

Tho discussion continuing at some further length, Mr. Coates, amidst laughter, said that he was not going out with a wheelbarrow and shovel himself to put the road right, but he would get the representatives of the Suburban Highways' Board to see him to see if the difficulty could not be overcome.